Music

Whoever's disguised as the Hydra on "The Masked Singer" voiced some concern after the costume caused a near-disastrous rehearsal that forced the crew to work extra hard to keep them safe!

We're told the team scrambled to add much-needed precautions to the massive ensemble, including handles that give them something to hold on to while inside.

The massive getup includes 3 towering heads ... each able to blow smoke. FYI, a costume like this probably isn't helmed by just one celeb -- we're thinking the 3 heads might be a clue.

The outfit is so over-the-top, it requires 5 times the number of staffers it normally takes to help the mystery singer(s) ready for show time.

While contestants usually put on their costumes in dressing rooms -- allowing them to keep their identity a mystery -- the Hydra has to do things differently.

We're told the costume's so big, the performers have to walk to the stage exposed, and get dressed there. That's means the crew has to lock down the set and build a barrier to wall off the stage, keeping everything hush hush.

Drake is once again subscribing to God's plan -- throwing down big on roulette and giving back to the community just as much as he won ... with none other than LeBron James!

Champagne Papi made a massive donation over the weekend, offering up a cool mil in Bitcoin to the LeBron James Family Foundation -- which focuses on charitable efforts for underprivileged students, among other initiatives -- and did so in partnership with Stake.com ... an online gambling house that Drizzy uses early and often, and which facilitated this dough.

You see ... Drake actually placed a massive bet recently on one of their online roulette tables -- wagering a hefty sum on black 11 -- and when it hit ... the dude got paid out big time.

Part of that money is what was donated to the LBJ Foundation -- and Bron Bron was actually on hand in Toronto Friday to usher in the gracious gesture, hitting up a fancy restaurant in the area called Harbour 60.

It wasn't just these 2 patting each other on the back though -- Drake had a huge surprise for a local high school basketball player named Michael (of Royal Crown Academy) who's on his way to a college career. To send him off properly, Drake donated $100k to him and his mom.

Drake and co. actually captured that sweet moment on camera as well ... and it was very reminiscent of when he was handing out cash to strangers a few years back -- and just as emotional.

Country music icon Hank Williams Jr. is in mourning -- his longtime wife, Mary Jane Thomas, has died ... TMZ has learned.

A family member confirmed Mary Jane passed away Tuesday in Jupiter, Florida, and we're told the early indication is it appears she suffered a complication -- possibly a blood clot -- following a medical procedure.

A spokesperson for the Jupiter, FL PD tells us they got a medical call to the Jupiter Beach Resort & Spa around 5PM Tuesday ... Mary Jane was transported to a local hospital where she was pronounced dead. At this time, her death does not appear to be suspicious.

Mary Jane, a former model for Hawaiian Tropic suntan lotion, has been married to Hank since 1990 -- the couple met in 1985 at one of his concerts in Washington State. Her death is the latest heartbreak for Hank and his family.

He and Mary Jane had 2 children together -- daughter Katie Williams-Dunning and son Samuel Williams. Katie died tragically in a 2020 car accident in Tennessee. Her husband, Tyler Dunning was also in the vehicle, but survived with critical injuries.

TMZ broke the story ... Sam claimed back in February his father and half-sister Holly had him under a conservatorship, which began in August 2020 -- less than 2 months after Katie's death.

While Hank's known for big hits like "All My Rowdy Friends," and is frequently in the spotlight -- most recently for his Country Music Hall of Fame induction last November -- Mary Jane's known to be more private.

She and Hank had separated in 2007, but eventually saved their marriage ... fully reconciling in 2011 when they celebrated their 21st anniversary.

We reached out to a Williams family member who told us they'd like privacy at this time.

Mary Jane is survived by Hank, Sam, and 3 grandchildren.

She was 58.

Miley Cyrus encountered a terrifying experience after her plane got struck by lightning, damaging the aircraft and forcing the pilot to make an emergency landing.

Miley was on her way to Asunción, Paraguay to headline the 2022 Asuncionico music festival Tuesday when her plane was caught in a severe storm ...  hit by a lightning strike. You hear the screams as the bolt hits the wing.

In a world where you share even near-death experiences, Miley posted a video of the strike and photos of the damage.

She said, "To my fans and everyone worried after hearing about my flight to Asunción. Our plane was caught in a major unexpected storm and struck by lighting ... My crew, band, friends and family who were all traveling with me are safe after an emergency landing. We were unfortunately unable to fly into Paraguay. I LOVE YOU."

Hours before the plane took off, Miley was in Bogotá, Colombia putting on a show at the Movistar Arena. She posted highlights from the concert, thanking fans for an awesome night.

"L" is for the way you look at me ... so says Jennifer Lopez as BF Ben Affleck longingly admires her during the singer's acceptance speech.

J Lo was onstage at the iHeart Music Awards Tuesday night, accepting this year's Icon Award. While thanking her fans for their support over the years, the crowd went nuts, including Ben -- with his 10-year-old son Samuel and her 14-year-old daughter Emme by his side.

His look says it all ... the two have been going through some changes together -- including putting around $55 million down for a massive estate -- so his excitement for a future with her really shows.

TMZ broke the story, the couple is in escrow for a 10-bed, 17-bath home, with a theater, multiple kitchens, and a pool. After scoping out the house this weekend, the two were off to McDonald's, chowing down on some value meals after the big purchase!

Prince William and Kate Middleton sitting in the middle of a Rastafarian drum circle and banging away in the birthplace of reggae -- yeah, this is NOT your typical Royal tour!

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were in Kingston, Jamaica's Trench Town neighborhood Tuesday, and were fully immersed in the culture. Awkward as it might seem, Kate and Will each played a drum in a traditional Nyabinghi drum session. This was just the latest stop on their tour of several Caribbean nations in the British Commonwealth.

The royal couple visited the former home of reggae legend Bob Marley and met with other well-known local musicians.

They also celebrated some of the island's favorite sports -- hopping into a Jamaican bobsled and taking pics with the latest Olympic team. Later, William even played a little pickup soccer match and met national team stars Raheem Sterling and Leon Bailey.

But, not everyone is thrilled about their visit. The royal tour was met with backlash from many folks and Jamaican leaders, who are demanding reparations.

This is kind of a last hurrah for the royals ... in Jamaica, anyway. The country is starting the process of becoming an independent republic, which means removing Queen Elizabeth as its head of state.

The goal is to cut ties by August 6, which is Jamaica's Independence Day.

Damon Dash isn't here for the Grammys yanking Kanye West from its performance lineup ... insisting the Recording Academy has no place judging him or any other hip-hop artist.

We caught up with the rap mogul Tuesday at LAX, and he's so pissed about the Ye-Grammys situation that he says it's time to kick the whole award show to the curb ... telling us, "We make our own Grammys."

Remember, even though he can't perform, Ye can attend the show -- so, we asked what he thinks would happen if he wins and gets on stage to accept his Grammy. DD says it shouldn't ever come to that, because he's encouraging Ye to skip it altogether.

Damon's embracing the theory the Grammys are outdated and out of touch with hip hop -- and tells us he didn't go either when he was nominated.

He's clearly over Academy execs judging who's hot and who's not in the industry.

As Dame puts it, "They gotta respect our culture."

As we reported, Kanye was barred from performing at this year's award show, due to his "concerning online behavior" ... ya know, his online attacks against ex-wife Kim Kardashian, her new bf Pete Davidson and a slew of others.

Lots of folks have jumped to Ye's defense, including Grammys host Trevor Noah -- at whom Kanye fired some online shots -- saying he wanted the rapper to get counseled, not canceled.

Damon's idea is picking up steam. On Tuesday, J. Prince called on hip-hop artists -- including Ye, Drake and Nicki Minaj -- to protest the award show, and get together to perform an anti-Grammys concert.

He's going for the Recording Academy's neck, too ... he wants to do the concert in Las Vegas on April 3 -- the same night and location of the Grammys.

Jennifer Hudson's 10-year engagement to WWE wrestler David Otunga is a thing of the past with lots of hard feelings ... and now the bling is hitting the auction block.

David had Neil Lane design the 5-carat cushion cut diamond ring for Jennifer back in 2008, which has an estimated retail value of $45K.

When they broke up in 2017, Jennifer returned the ring to David. FYI ... in legalese, an engagement ring is a "gift in contemplation of marriage." If the marriage doesn't go through, in most states the person who gave the ring -- in this case David -- gets it back.

So David has now teamed up with IDoNowIDont.com to unload it. We're told David plans to give a portion of the proceeds to a fathers' rights org.

The ring has a pretty cool history ... the pop singer wore it when she snagged a Grammy in 2009 ... a Grammy presented to her by none other than Whitney Houston. And yes, it's the real deal ... meaning it's GIA certified and comes with official certification docs signed by Lane.

Jennifer and David share a 12-year-old son, David Daniel Otunga Jr., together. Their custody war was brutal, but they both seemed to have moved on separately.

Machine Gun Kelly's turning hotel bellmen into tour roadies and proving the ol' show biz adage is true ... even in the face of a deadly storm in South America.

Yeah, the show totally went on for MGK Tuesday night just outside the lobby of his hotel in Paraguay ... where the rocker set up giant speakers, cranked it up to 11 and grabbed a mic. Fans had swarmed the building after his scheduled concert venue was flooded out, forcing promoters to pull the plug on the show.

Megan Fox was right by her fiance's side when he came out to greet the fans, and then decided to give 'em a mini-concert.

Paraguay was rocked by a storm that tore roofs off buildings and had rivers overflowing their banks. Five people reportedly died and more than 80 were injured in the severe weather.

Justin Bieber is ready to leave some legal drama in the past ... officially asking a judge to dismiss a lawsuit JB brought against two women who accused him of sexual assault

The singer filed to dismiss his defamation suit against a couple of Jane Does ... who, in 2020, alleged he'd violated them in 2014 and 2015.

While Justin was clearly outraged by the claims at first -- vehemently denying them -- a source with direct knowledge tells us he chose to dismiss the case because he felt he'd made his point and wanted to move on.

As you'll recall ... Bieber pointed out what he called major holes in the accuser's stories, insisting he had proof that he was NOT at any of the locations they said he was when the alleged assaults occurred.

In Jane Doe #1's case, the woman claimed he sexually assaulted her at a Four Seasons following a SXSW event in Austin. JB claimed he never stepped foot in there on the night in question ... but rather, stayed at a nearby rental property with then-GF Selena Gomez.

One of Young Dolph's suspected killers apparently has some enemies behind bars ... because he was recently attacked by another inmate.

Justin Johnson, who is in custody on a slew of charges including first-degree murder, was punched by a fellow inmate at Tennessee's Shelby County Jail while in the middle of a phone call Friday ... his attorney tells TMZ.

Johnson's lawyer, Juni Ganguli, says JJ was on the phone in the jail's visitation area when an inmate walked up and socked him. We're told there is no word on a motive and Johnson was not severely injured.

A rep for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office tells TMZ ... there was an incident Friday involving Johnson and another inmate, and it's under investigation. We're told there were no reported injuries.

Remember ... Johnson was named as a suspect in Young Dolph's murder earlier this year, and in January he was captured and arrested by U.S. Marshalls. He claims he is innocent.

Justin Bieber's leaving his mark on the Toronto Maple Leafs -- the "Ghost" singer just designed a special Drew House jersey for his beloved team ... and they're actually wearing them in a game!!

The Leafs announced the collab on Tuesday ... saying Auston Matthews and Co. will wear the sweaters for their Next Gen game on Wednesday as a way to "celebrate" the youth and "future of hockey."

The jerseys are super-unique -- they're black and blue with a shibori-inspired print and Toronto skyline stitched into the arm bands and socks.

But, the threads are a bit of a two-fer -- fans can actually put the jersey inside out to reveal a Drew House-inspired black and yellow jersey with the eyes of the signature smiley logo etched in the middle of the Leafs emblem.

Bieber -- who's always been obsessed with the Leafs -- spoke out about the collab ... saying, "My love for the Maple Leafs has always been a big part of who I am, and my passion for the team, and the passion of millions of fans, is stitched into this Next Gen sweater."

Chris Brown couldn't pass up an impromptu performance ... taking the mic at his friend's birthday bash to sing one of his hits!

Chris was a guest at the party of Umar Kamani, founder and CEO of fashion retailer PrettyLittleThing, at La Casita in L.A. Monday night.

While he was only invited as a guest, it didn't stay that way for long -- Chris dusted off his classic, "Take You Down," and the crowd went crazy! Everyone joined in ... harmonizing with the singer -- Stevie Mackey, who's worked with the likes of J Lo and Selena Gomez, played away on the piano.

Christina Milian also took the mic at the bash! Other party guests included will.i.am, Snoop Dogg, and Tank ... most of which performed!

Rihanna might have love on the brain ... rocking a massive diamond on her ring finger while doing some baby prep!

RiRi's expecting her first child with boyfriend A$AP Rocky ... she was out shopping for baby clothes Monday in L.A. at Kitson. The huge rock -- which she's worn before on different fingers in the past -- was now exactly where it should be ... if, of course, an engagement actually went down.

She was wearing the same bling back in November on her middle finger as she was named Barbados' 11th National Hero.

The Rihanna diamond goes back to July 2021 ... she was wearing it on her right ring finger while shooting a music video with A$AP in New York.

She was also wearing a fitted tee ... proudly showing off her growing baby bump.

As we reported, the couple announced their pregnancy at the end of January. They started dating in early 2020.

Michael Bublé may be best known for his vocals, but now he jokingly says he could ditch his singing career for TikTok ... after newfound success on the app.

The Canadian singer joined "TMZ Live" and talked about working on his upcoming 11th studio album and  ... a possible TikTok career!

Michael has had worldwide success since dropping his debut, self-titled album in '03. In January, he dropped his single "I'll Never Not Love You" ... which is a sequel to his 2009 hit "Haven't Met You Yet."

So far, he's sold 75 million albums, but he believes his latest one "Higher" is his best one yet. Although the album is slated for Friday, Michael is very excited about another hobby he's seemingly mastered overnight -- TikTok.

He tells us, he loves interacting with fans on the app, but it's more important for him to try to get more followers than his wife ... only partially joking. Back in September, he got an impressive 31.5 million views on his first video, after his wife convinced him to join.

Bublé has garnered 1.7 mil followers and 14.7 mil likes ... but, insists his wife is still winning the competition. Luckily though, he knows quite a bit about winning ... with 11 Grammy noms and 4 wins since '08.

As for "Higher", Michael says he got the help of some famous friends … including Paul McCartney, who gave his blessings for him to cover his song -- "My Valentine." Paul ended up working on the entire album and being accredited as a producer.

MB says Paul came to play, and he simply "has the ability to take good and turn it into great."

Kylie Jenner and Travis Scott are going back to the drawing board on baby names ... she says they are changing their newborn son's name from Wolf.

Kylie made the announcement Monday, explaining she and Travis just really didn't feel like the name suited their son, who is not yet 7 weeks old. So, he can't say he was attached to Wolf.

It's unclear what Kylie and Travis are calling their boy now -- she's only saying it's not Wolf and they wanted folks to know because Kylie is apparently tired of seeing him referred to by that name.

As we first told you ... the baby's full name at birth was Wolf Jacques Webster and it's on the kid's birth certificate, so there will be a legal process to changing his name.

Little baby boy Webster's middle name, Jacques, is actually Travis' birth name ... so it will be interesting to see if his parents only change one name, or wipe the slate clean and start all over from scratch.